Building construction



Jung 11, 1940. n. v. PARsONs Err A1. 2204319 BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed March 11, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS l? U- P Pitman 'Julie 11, 1940 Raymond V. Parsons,

New Yuri, N. Y., ana Albert L. Wilcox, Darien, Conn., assignors of l` one-third to Gertrude E. Byel- Application March ll, 1937,` Serial No. 130,250

6 Claims.

This invention relates to building structures, such as houses and 'the like, and has particular reference to a novelbuilding structure which may be readily assembled and disassembled and which when assembled is strongl and durable.

It is well known that a relatively large'item oi expense in the construction of buildings is the manufacture and assembly of special parts which must be cut to fit the particular plans of 'the building and assembled piece by piece usually at 'the'building site. In order to lower the cost of construction.' it has been proposed heretofore to construct buildings of standard sections or units which may be made at the factory withV the advar-ges of mass production. The sections thus made are assembled in the'desired combination at the building site. One of the principal problems vin assembling the-structure is the joining of the various wall' panels which comprise an important part of the assembly. It is often n ecessaryvto e'rnployjseveral panel sections to make-a. single wail or partition; and in such cases the adjacent sections must be joined in such a manner as lto provide a tight closure and maintain the sections in position at all times. Also, a suitable joint must be made at each intersection of walls and at the junction of dividing partitionswith walls or other partitions.

One method employed heretofore for joining thepanel sections requires overlapping adjacent panel sections where aligned sections are to be joined and butting the edge of Aa section against the surface of another section where intersecting sections are to be joined. 'I'his method is objectionable for the reason that the overlapping portions are unsightly and destroy the smooth appearance of the assembly and the butting por- 'tionsv do not afford a secure joint. Another method of joining the sections is to mount uprights on the door or base of the structure between the adjoining edges of adjacent sections and connect the sections along their edges to the uprights. The uprights, however, present an unsightly appearance and requirecareful installation to mount them accurately between the adjoining edges of the panel sections.

The present invention is directed to the provision of a novel building structure of the prefabricated section type in which the panel sections may be joined quickly and easily along their adjacent edges without overlapping or butting and without reference to connecting posts or uprights mounted in the iloor.- In addition, the sections of the new structure may be readily disassembled aftertheyare joined, and accordingly the structure is particularly suited for manufacture on a small scale for use as a toy. Preferably, the structure of the present invention also includes novel means for mounting the wall sections on a base or the like.

A structure made in accordance with our in vention comprises a base or floor section and a plurality of panel sections mounted on the base and extending upwardly therefrom. The panels are arranged on the base in accordance with a predetermined plan to form the side walls and partitions of the structure and are preferably removable from the base. The panels of each wall and partition are positioned in close relation with their adjacent edges substantially contactit ing, and each panel is formed with grooves along its lateral edges whereby the grooves in adjacent edges form a slot or passage in the wall or partitionextending substantially from top to bottom. To join adjacent panels, we provide means disposed in the slotsv thus formed for holding the panels securely in alignment and eiecting a tight closure between them. I'he joints may take various forms. One form of joint which we-employ comprises a spline inserted in the adjacent grooves forming the slot. The spline is preferably removable from the slot, although if desired it may be permanently cemented therein.` Another form of joint which may be used comprises a tie rod extending through the slot and provided at one end with a connecting `member which engages the adjoining top or bottom edges of adjacent panels so as to lock the panels together. At its opposite end the tie rod-may be provided with means for tightening the rod and thereby drawing thel connecting member more firmly against the panels. Varie-.is other forms of joints may be inserted in the slots to effect the desired connections, but it will be apparent that whatever form the joint may take it is completely concealed in the.slot so that the aligned panels may be connected in contacting .relation without exposirig t'ne joining means.

At the intersections of walls and partitions, the panels are connected by connecting mein`4 bers which comprise an elongated member providedy with tongues extending from lateral faces thereof in different directions. Where two walls or partitions intersect to form' a corner, the joining member is formed with two tongues ex'- tending at right angles and received in the grooves in the adjacent lateral edges of the intersecting panels. At the intersection of a partition and a wall.- the joining member has three u 'I corner intersection of partitions, rthe joining member is provided with four tongues received tom edges as well as their lateral edges and are in the grooves formed inthe adjacent edges of the ffmr intersecting panels;

With this construction, the panels are held securely together along their adjacent edges after they are mounted on the'v base, and the means for effecting their connection do not detract frm-nl the appearance of the structure. vThe joining means for aligned panels` are substantially concealed and those for` intersecting panels may be constructed sothat the exposed faces thereof lie flush with the surfaces of the adjacent walls. Since the means for joining the adjacent edges of the panels may be readily removed from the grooves in the panels, the structure may be readily disassembled.

In the preferred form of the structure,'the panels are formed withgrooves alongA their bot- 1 held in position on the base by splines secured ings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of the 'new structure partially assembled;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one corner of the base showing two aligned panels mounted thereon and joined to each other;

Fig. 3 is a. plan view of the unit employed for connectingv two intersecting panels to form a corner;

Fig. 4 is a similar view of a connecting .unit

employed lat an intersection Vof a partition with 1- a. wall or other partition;

Fig. 5 is a similar'view of a connecting unit used at a. four-cornered intersection of panels;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one corner of the base showing modified means for mounting panels on the base and joining adjacent panels;

Figs. 7 and 8 are perspective views of the two forms of connectors shown in Fig. 6 for mounting the panels on the base;.

Fig. 9 is a view in perspective of the tie rod for joining adjacent panels;

Fig. l0 is a view in section showing the tie rod applied to adjacent panels mounted on the base; and

Fig. l1 is a perspective view of one corner of the base showing another form of connector for mounting the panels on the base.

We have illustrated in the drawings a building ,structure in the form of a toy, although it will be understood that the principles of our invention are eqally applicable to full scale building construction.

Referring to Fig. 1 of thedrawings, the structure there shown comprises a rectangular base 20, preferably of wood, provided on its upper surface with guide lines 2| extending longitudinally and transversely thereof at right angles. The lines 2| are preferably arranged in pairs with the lines of each pair extending parallel in closely spaced relation. Mounted on the base 28 and extending vertically therefrom are a plurality of panels 22 of uniform width and height, preferably of the same material as the base. The

panels 22 are of various forms, some of the panels being solid, others being formed with doorways 22a and others with windows 22h. Each of the panels 22 is formed with a groove, not shown, extending along the bottom edge thereof. As shown particularly in Fig. 2, the panels 22 are held in position on the base by splines 23 which fit tightly into the. bottom grooves of the panels, the splines being 'attached to the base by any suitable' means, such as brads 2l. If desired, the splines may be cemented into the bottom grooves of the panels vwhereby the connection of the panels to the base is permanent. Preferably, however, the panels are secured to the base only by the spline and groove connection, whereby they are removable from the base. The splines 23 are attached to the base in accordance with a predetermined plan between selected pairs of the guide lines 2|, so that whenthe panels 22 are mounted on the base as described they Will form the partitions and'walls of the building. ,Panels 25 of substantially less width than the standard panels 22, but otherwise similar thereto, are preferably provided to complete a wall or partition where it is desired' to space a doorway or window panel from another panel of the wall or from an intersecting wall a distance less than the width of a standard panel. y

Each of the panels 22 is formed with grooves 26 similar to the bottom groove therein but extending along the lateral edges of th'e panel. It will be observed that` the grooves 26 in the lateral edges of adjacent panels cooperate to form a slot extending from top to bottom of the wall or partition. In order to join the adjacent edges of aligned panels, we insert in the slots thus formed a spline 2'! of wood or the like. The spline is adapted to fit tightly in the slot land extends froml the top to the bottom thereof so that the panelsjare held securely against relative out-of-line movement. The splines 21 are preferably removable from` the slots formed by grooves 26, but if desired they may be cemented therein so as to make the joints permanent.

At the corners formed by intersecting walls and partitions, the panels 22 are joined by connecting members 28. Each of the members 28 comprises an elongatedpiece, preferably ofl wood, having a generally square cross section so that it has four flat lateral faces. As shown particularly in Fig. 3, two adjoining lateral faces of the connecting member have tongues 28 extending outwardly therefrom, and these tongues extend substantially the length of the member. It will be observed that the distance between opposite faces of the member 28 is substantially equal to the thickness of the panels 22. The members 28 are disposed at the corners formed by intersecting walls or partitions with the tongues 28 extending into the grooves 28 in the adjacent edges of the panels forming the corners.I

Where the partitions of the structure intersect a wall thereof or another partition. the panels are joined by a connecting member 29 of the form shown in cross section in Fig. 4. The connecting vmembers'29 are similar to connecting members 28 except that each of them has tongues 29 extending from three of the four lateral faces thereof. As shown particularly in Fig. 4, the

connecting member 29 is disposed at the intersection of the panelsv 22 with the oppositely disposed tongues 29 extending into the grooves 2B in the two aligned panels, and the third tongue 29' extending at right angles to the other tongues into 75 tive appearance.

and-.2Siatfthe'intersections.of the .walls and parti- `of an inverted U-shape,

thev` intersecting panel 22; If itis desired to ,join four-,corner intersection (not shown), we employ a-connecting member 3| .of the form shown in sectionin Fig. 5. Asvthere shown, ther connector .l

3l vis similar. inform to the connector 29 Iexcept thatit is provided-with a tonguel `on each of the' `four faces. thereof.. The connector V3| is -.positioned a;t'the, ,intersection of the panels with the tongues 3| extending into the grooves y25m the ,adjacent edges of the intersecting panels, as.`

showninFig. 5.

It will'beA apparent that with thisy construction the.. splines23. may vbe laid out on the base in any configuration,y and the panels 22- readily mounted thereon and'- joined together at their adjacent edges -to'form a building of the desired architecturaldesign. The splines 21 provide strong joints between ythe i lateral edges together with the splines firmly, in position at all times. Since the splines 231and` 21.are completely concealed in the panel grooves, the'joints present a smooth and attrac- The connecting members 21 tions have their, outer facs flush with the,sur facesof `thewalls and partitions, and accordingly dounot destroy the smooth surfaces ofthe structure. .The spline-and-groove and tongue-and-` groove.y connections permit the--structure tozbe` quickly and easily disassembled, as will be readily Any one of thepanels 22 may bev apparent.` easily -withdrawn vertically from` its position be-r tween adjacentpanels by reason of the splineand-groove connections,l and removal of the panels in this manner greatly facilitates disassembling of: the structure.

Instead of assembling the panels 22 on the base by splines of the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the panels may be assembled by the connections shown` in Fig. 6. As forming one wall are held in position on the base 2ll`by an elongated spline 45. The spline 45, as shown particularly in Fig. '1, has a cross section the top thereof being at, and is provided with prongs 45 projecting downwardly from the lower edges of the sides at spaced points therealong. The spline 45 is preferably madeof metal, the prongs 45' being integral therewith, and. may be conveniently made by a stamping operation. In mounting the spline 45 on the base, it is placed in the desired position between guide lines 2| with the prongs 45 resting on'the base. The top of the spline is then pressed downwardly so as to embed the prongs in the base and thereby secure the base against displacement. The panels 22 are then mounted on the base with the splines 45 extending into the bottom grooves therein. Alternatively, the panels forming one wall may be held in position on the base by a spline- 46 of the form shown in Fig. 8. The spline 46 is generally U-shaped in section, the base thereof being flat, and is formed with openings 46 spaced along the base. Preferably, the spline 46 ismade of metal. The spline ismountedr on the base in the desired yposition with the legs thereof resting on the base, as shown in Fig.. 6, and is held against displacement on the base bybrads (not shown) which are inserted in openingv 46 and driven into the base. The panels 22,1are'positioned on the base with the bottom The-.adjacent edges of thel panels forming a of aligned panels .and 23 maintain the panels there shown, the panels 22V joined together by the connectionl shown in detail in Figs. 9 and 10. As shown particularly in Fig. l0, the connection comprises a hollow spline v41 of rectangular section which extends vertically through the slotv formed by the grooves in the adjacent edges of the panels. Thespline 41 is preferably of metal and is formed' to lit tightly in the slot. Extending through the spline 41 from topv toY bottom is a tie rod 48 which may be made of wire or the like. At its upper end, the tie `rod 48 is suitably connected'to' a horizontal pla'te 49V which rests on the adjoining' upper edges of panels 22. is stamped 'out to form two downwardly extend.; ing prongs 50one ofwhich is embeddedin vthe panel 22.-on;one side of spline 41 andthe other of which is embedded in the panel onthe opposite sideof .the spline. At itslower end, the tie rod 48 extends through an opening 5l drilled in the base` and is provided with a headed member 52 threadedvthereon. The opening l at its lower` end-opens intoa-circular, recess 53'forrned inthe bottomof the base, and the headvofthe member 52 is disposed in the recess in Vengagement with the base, the shank of the member extending kinto the opening 5l. i f

In assemblingthe joint shown in Fig. l0, the panels22 arerst mounted on `the base with the hollow spline 41 extending through Ythe slot formed by their adjacent grooves 26. 'The-tie rod 48 is then passed through the spline from thetop and Ithrough opening 5| which may be drilled in the base in the desired location, and the prongs 50 of the plate-49 are firmly embedded in the top of the adjacent panels.

member 52 is threaded onto the lower end 'ofA the tie rod and screwed tightly against the base inv A modified form of joint foixmount-ingthe on a base or floor section.isvshownsinY panels 22 Fig. 1l. on its upper surface with slots longitudinally and transversely thereof. slots 55 are of the same dimensions as the slots formed in the bottom edges of the panels 22. The panels are attached to of splines 56 which are received in the slots 55 in the base and extend upwardly intolthe slots formed in the bottom edges of the panels. The splines 56 are of considerably. greater height than the spline 23 shown in Figs. 1 and 2, soithat when it is inserted in one of the slots 55, substantially one-half of the spline projects above the upper surface of the base into the cooperating slots in the bottom of the panels.

As there shown, the base 20 is formed 55 extending It will beA apparent that the new buildngvcon- 1 struction may be used to particular advantage as a toy, since the parts thereof maybe assembled quickly and easily into attractive structures of various architectural designs and may be readily disassembled.` The structure when. assembled presents a smoothand attractive appearance, the joints either being completely concealed or else having their exposed surfaces flush with the adjacent surfaces of the walls and partitions. Accordingly, the structure has the appearance of a small scale building accurately proportioned even at the joints. f

We claim: Y

1. A building structure* comprising side walls, at least one of which is formed by a `plurality of aligned panels having grooves in adjacent edges thereof, the grooves in adjacent edges of` The plate 49 is likewise,` ofmetal andy Thereafter, the headed The the base by means.

adjoining panels cooperating to form a slot, a tie rod extending through the slot and held at one end against relative longitudinal movement in the slot, and a member connected to the opposite end of the tie rod engaging adjoining edges of the adjacent panels to hold the panels in a xed relationship,

2. A building structure comprising side walls, at least one of which is formed by a plurality of aligned panels having grooves in adjacent edges thereof, the grooves in adjacent edges of adjoining panels cooperating to form a slot, a

tie rod extending through the slot, a member connected to one end of the rod and engaging adjoining edges of the adjacent panels to hold the panels in a fixed relation, means for securing the opposite end of the tie rod to maintain tension therein, and means for varying the tension in the rod.

3. A building structure comprising side Walls, at least one of`which is formed by a plurality of aligned panels having grooves in adjacent edges thereof, the grooves in adjacent edges of adjoining panels cooperating to form a slot, a tie rod extending through the slot and held at one end against relative longitudinal movement in the slot, and a member connected to the opposite end o1' the tie rod provided with a pair of projections, one projection penetrating the panel on one side of the slot and the other penetrating the panel on the opposite side of the slot.

4. A building structure comprising side walls, at least one of which is formed by a plurality of aligned panels having grooves in adjacent edges thereof, the grooves in adjacent edges of adjoining panels cooperating to form a slot, a spline disposed insaid slot and having a longitudinal passage therein, a tie rod extending through said passage and held at one end against relative longitudinal movement in the slot, and a member connected to the opposite endr of the tie rod engaging adjoining edges of the adjacent panels to hold the panels in a xed relationship.

5. A building structure comprising a base having a plurality of openings therethrough, a plurality of aligned panels supported on the base, each panel having grooves in the lateral edges thereof, the grooves in adjacent edges of the panels cooperating to form a slot, a tie rod extending through said slot and through one of said openings in the base, a member connected to one end of the tie rod engaging adjoining edges of the adjacent panels tohold the panels in a fixed relationship, and a headed member threaded on the opposite end of the tie rod and adapted to be screwed against the bottom of the base to apply tension to the rod.

6. A building structure comprising side walls, at least one of which includes a pair of aligned panels arranged in substantially edge to edge relation, ,said panels including a vertical slot, a tie rod extending through the slot, means at one end of the rod for holding the rod against longitudinal movement in the slot, and a member on the opposite end of the tie rod generally perpendicular thereto and provided with a pair of spaced projections generally parallel to the rod, one of the projections extending into one of the panels and the other projection extending into the adjacent panel to hold the panels together.

RAYMOND V. PARSONS. ALBERT L. WILCOX. 

